


Thanks for being here

by dustaundonut, Kobose



Series: Aubrey and Kim being 'best friends' [2]
Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hanging Out, Sleeping Together, Sleepovers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 19:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30043458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dustaundonut/pseuds/dustaundonut, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kobose/pseuds/Kobose
Summary: Aubrey and Kim have a sleepover, what's the worse that could happen? This is just going to be a normal sleepover.. or so she hoped.
Relationships: Aubrey & Kim (OMORI), Aubrey/Kim (OMORI)
Series: Aubrey and Kim being 'best friends' [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210145
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	Thanks for being here

It was a chilly night in Faraway town. 

Aubrey should be tucked in her makeshift comforter and trying not to get a cold, but here she stood in front of her best friend's house. With her free hand, she reluctantly hit the doorbell, announcing her presence to Kim's family. 

In seconds, Kim opened the door so fast that she could've unhinged it from the doorframe. Upon seeing Aubrey, she brightened up. "Aubrey! My beloved lollipop!" She joked, opening her arms wide. The brunette always jokes about how Aubrey looks like a personification of the said candy. With the combination of her pink hair, cyan headband, and yellow jacket, she looks like a swirly lollipop-- or even better, a candy cane. 

The delinquent girl snorted, "Stop it." She shook her head and put a hand to her waist, inspecting the latter's appearance. "You really prepared for this sleepover." As if on cue, Kim did a dinosaur pose. "Sure did! I wanted you to see my cool dinosaur onesie! Plus, it's kinda cold today, so y'know." The girl with glasses smugly put hands on both sides of her waist. 

Kim gave way inside her house, "Come on in-- Ooohh! I'll get us ice-cream too! You know the way there, Oobree!" The brunette purposely pronounced her name weirdly. Before Aubrey could say anything, she already made her way to the kitchen, the tail of her dinosaur onesie wagging side to side. 

'Didn't you just say it was cold? Kim, you little dork.' She smiled warmly, going up the stairs to Kim's room. Aubrey has been to her house so many times that she pretty much memorizes the layout. Hell, she would rather call this home than her own, but she knows she can't just make Kim's house hers. 

For the number of times Kim invited her here, it's almost as if she also wants Aubrey to live here. Permanently. 

Once she entered Kim's room, she set her bag on the side of the room so they won't trip on it. While she waits for her best friend, she looked around the room and sat on the bed, reminiscing on all the times they spent here... 

\-- 

_"Are you sure about this, Kim? I really don't think-" "_ _Aubreyyyy_ _! Everything will be fine! You'll look so cool with pink hair!" Kim cut her off, taking off the plastic surrounding the latter's hair. "Now, once you finish cleaning your hair, I_ _wanna_ _see you walk out of the bathroom and look at yourself in the mirror!"_

_In an attempt to hide her blush, Aubrey dipped her head and made a small noise in agreement._

_It took a little while, but once Aubrey finished rinsing herself, she stepped out of Kim's bathroom. She bashfully played with her fingers, unable to look at Kim in the eyes._

_The brunette brightened up when she saw Aubrey, her smile reaching her ears. "Oh my god. You have to see yourself." She excitedly walked over to Aubrey, slowly pushing her towards the bedroom mirror. "Look." She peeked from the taller girl's shoulders, seeing her staring in awe._

_".._ _You're_ _right.._ _" She reached to caress her pink-dyed hair. "_ _Ooohh_ _! And for the finishing touch!" Kim can be heard rustling for something in a paper bag before she placed a cyan headband with a bow on Aubrey's head. "I got these for you!"_

_Aubrey smiled confidently. The color of the bow complemented her pink hair so well. "Thanks a lot, Kim." She expressed her gratitude. Kim replied with a gremlin laugh._

_The brunette made thinking noises, putting a finger to her chin. "_ _Y'know_ _what? That got me thinking... I have to match your style. So.." From under her bed, she pulled out a shaver. How she managed to steal it without getting scolded by her parents will remain a mystery. "Can you shave the side of my head? A favor for a favor! I dye your hair, and you shave mine!"_

\-- 

"I got the ice-cream!" Kim bursts into her room while holding two bowls of ice cream. The pink-haired girl snapped back to reality. "What were you doing while I was away?" She passed one of the bowls to Aubrey. "Just thinking.” As the delinquent noticed something different in the latter’s room, she pointed at a poster on Kim's wall. “..That poster's new." It's a portrait of Kim doing a dynamic pose while holding a gun. "Oh, that? It's a commission from ANZUKUGIE on Twitter, cool right?" She said as if she's been wanting Aubrey to ask about it. If the pinkette is going to be honest, it really does. "Yeah, it looks rad." 

Aubrey scooped some ice-cream from her bowl, she decided to continue the conversation where she left off. "You know, we've done a lot of stupid things within four years." With ice-cream on the side of her mouth, Kim replied, "Dang, you're right. I still remember when you first shaved the side of my hair! It was almost perfect. Almost." She touched the shaved part of her hair. Nobody else but Aubrey ever really helps her keep it that way, so the taller girl pretty much perfected the process through doing it so much. 

"Heh, we've been best friends for that long." She elbowed the latter, grinning at her. "We weren't even doing that much delinquent stuff yet. We really influenced you that hard, huh." The brunette chuckled, leaning her face to her knee while she looks at Aubrey. 

"You did- You know what, I'm thankful for that." The pink-haired girl smiled back at her. 

For a moment, the two stared back at each other, just smiling and looking at each other's faces. It's strange, isn't it? For some reason, your best friend seems to be the only person you ever see. When they're eating with the Hooligans? They would be paying attention to each other more than the others. 

Kim was the first to lean towards the other, using her arm as support, so she won't fall over and embarrass herself. Aubrey slowly leaned in, letting her body control her. It's normal to think that your best friend is pretty to the point you just want to kiss them, right? That's how Aubrey feels right now. She thought about how this is what she's been wanting to do with her for years. Kim had always been in the delinquent's mind. From the latter's dorky face to thoughts on what must her hand feel enclosed in her own. 

When their faces were so close to each other, the spoon in Kim's ice-cream bowl fell to the cold wood floor, making that awful noise you hear late at night in the kitchen when you were trying not to get killed by your parents for going down for a midnight snack when you're supposed to be asleep. 

Surprised, both parties flinched away, their faces red like a tomato. 

'Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god. I totally fucked that up didn't I? Fuck! Fuuuuck..' Kim bit her lower lip as she averted her gaze, disappointed in herself. In an attempt to free herself from the awkward silence, she quickly dipped down to grab the fallen spoon. "A-Ahahaha.. f-five second rule!" She forced a toothy grin as she stared at nothing. If she looked at Aubrey, it would've been too much for her. "I s-should go clean it." Not waiting for an answer, she ran to her bathroom. 

The girl with glasses turned on the sink and let the water clean the spoon of dirt and bacteria naked to the human eye. 

Kim is probably going to stop doing things recklessly from now on. She's going to be a saint, a rational person. She's going to succeed in life by just thinking before doing something! 

..Says her brain. 

Kim set her bowl of ice cream with the now clean spoon on the sink, clutching her head with both hands. "Uuugghhh.. Kimberly... why do you do this to yourself?" She begrudgingly told herself. She probably weirded out Aubrey for all she knows. She might not want this sleepover to happen anymore. 

'No.' Kim looked at herself in the mirror. She slapped her cheeks several times, snapping herself out of it. She's going to make this sleepover work, and she's totally not going to flirt with Aubrey. No, that is not happening anymore. 

..but she did lean in too? Does that mean she feels the same? Her best friend, who she's been making lesbian jokes to? 

Well, if she feels the same way, then she's going to find out through hints that are totally not obvious. She has to know. 

\-- 

Aubrey is thankful Kim leaving gave her time to process what just happened. She almost kissed her best friend, and for what? God, that was so awkward. Kim also leaned in, but what is that going to prove? Maybe it just felt right for her to lean in-- maybe she was just going to point out that she's got ice-cream on her cheek or something. Aubrey can't just let her fantasies get a hold of her. She shouldn't hope either. 

After gathering herself enough, she made sure to eat what's left of her ice-cream before they melted. 

The pink-haired girl heard the door to the bathroom close from behind her, "We better set up for bed now. I'm kiiinda freezing from the ice-cream." Kim spoke up, trying to ignore what just happened as much as possible. 

And thank god she was. Aubrey giggled at the statement, "You just said it was a cold night, and you pulled out the ice-creams. That's pretty much your fault." She stood up to grab her respective bag to get her change of clothes. "Hey! Nobody can resist ice-cream. Even when the season's cold!" Kim put her empty bowl on top of Aubrey's, picking them up. "I'm gonna put these back. You can change your clothes in the bathroom in the meantime!" 

\-- 

Setting up didn't take that long. Aubrey got changed in her yellow hoodie and black pajama pants while Kim stole some pillows from her parents' room and turned on her fairy lights (because she's afraid of the dark.) The bed is big enough for two, so she didn't need to set up a mattress on the floor. 

They're going to sleep on the same bed, after that happened. 

It's alright. It's just like what the two of them always do. They talk, have fun, and sleep together like best friends. 

That is.. if they don't mention anything about what happened. 

Kim got up on the bed and posed like the 'draw me like one of your french girls' meme in front of Aubrey. "Sleep with me, pablo." She said in a poor Spanish accent. "Maybe I'll sleep on the floor-" "Wait, wait, wait! I was joking! I swear! Please sleep with me!" The brunette reached out for the latter, begging. This earned a laugh from Aubrey, "Okay, fine." Upon agreeing, Kim excitedly scooched to the side near the wall. 

The duo got under the covers and tried to get comfortable. When they met each other's eyes, they would blush and try to get in another position. In the end, they settled with their bodies facing each other. 

Hesitantly, Kim tried to come up with a topic to talk about so they would stop this awkward tension. "What's your favorite dinosaur?" And of all the stupid things they could talk about, Kim chose that one. "My what?" Aubrey chuckled, finally looking up to meet the latter's eyes. "Your favorite dinosaur! It's a serious question!" The brunette is gonna go along with it. 

"..A triceratops, I guess?" It took the delinquent a while to reply since she had to remember the names of the dinosaurs. "Ooohh! That's a good one!" Kim smiled like a child at Aubrey's choice of dinosaur. "My favorite is the Ankylosaurus! They may not look it, but they will kill you with just a swing of their tail if you mess with them!" She raised a fist in front of her for more effects. The pink-haired girl giggled at Kim's dorkiness. She doubts she's ever laughed this much with anyone. "Sounds like a tough one." She replied. "I know! I admire them! There's no way they're going to let themselves be lunch, man. They're just trying to live." 

At least, that lightened the mood a little. Aubrey and Kim talked to each other without the awkward tension. It's like nothing happened at all earlier. 

They stared at the ceiling filled with glow-in-the-dark stars, vibing for a little while. "..Thanks." Kim suddenly said. The pink-haired girl turned to the latter in confusion, "For what?" The brunette scoffed. She knew she was going to ask that. "For being friends with me, duh! D'ya know how boring it would have been if I found the hooligans and I wasn't friends with you yet? I would've been the only girl there!" She swung her hands in the air to express her distress. "That would've been really sad." Aubrey jokingly replied. " _E-_ xactly!" Kim looked at her and nodded, being serious about what she said. The two of them laughed over the topic. 

The pinkette sighed and stared back at the ceiling, "..I should be the one thanking you for finding me." It's only ever sometimes that Aubrey admits her true feelings. When she's with Kim, it's almost as if she brings out the best in her. She lets her be honest about anything, and she'll understand. "Heh, y'know what, I'm happy for that! Way to go me! finding the coolest and badass girl in the world." The dinosaur enthusiast spoke with pride. She successfully earned a laugh from Aubrey. "Stop it." The latter bashfully said. "It's true!" 

The brunette suddenly yawned, covering her mouth with her hand to be less rude. "We should probably sleep now." Aubrey said, figured that they should tuck in for real this time, guess they've had enough fun for tonight. "So true, bestie." Kim agreed, facing the latter and pulling up the comforter until her neck and dipping her head. Aubrey, seeing an opportunity, hesitantly put her head on top of the other. 

She may not see it, but there's a small content smile on Kim's face. She's going to be sleeping soundly tonight. 

\-- 

Being a light sleeper isn't that great, once Kim hears small noises like her parents' attempts to open her door as quietly as they could, she will wake up. It's not that she's paranoid, she can't help but struggle to sleep for being a light sleeper. 

Late at night, Kim woke up to the sound of sniffling. 

There's no one else aside from Aubrey in her room, so her first reaction is concern, obviously. She carefully raised her head from the covers to see that the pinkette was crying. 

"..Aubrey?" Kim groggily called out to her. With no reply, the brunette confirms that the girl is crying in her sleep. 'I wonder what's happening in her dreams to make her cry..' She raised a hand, gently wiping the tear falling down the latter's cheeks. The delinquent barely shows herself crying. If she did, she would burst. Aubrey has been keeping all her problems to herself for so long. Hell, she only ever sometimes shows that side of her to Kim. The brunette is happy that Aubrey trusts her enough to let herself cry around her, though. She really needs it. 

"..It's okay.." Kim assured her. She wrapped her arms around the latter as gently as she can to not wake her up. The brunette knows that even when people are sleeping, they can still hear what's happening around them. She even remembers raving to the sound of her alarm clock in her dreams and accidentally overslept for school that day. Yeah, that happened. 

She tucked her head under Aubrey's and gently rubbed her back, she can still hear her sniffling, but this is the best she could do. "I'm right here." 

"..I'm right here." 

\-- 

In Aubrey's dreams, she witnessed her friends abandon her yet again. 

As much as it she doesn't want to admit it it always seems to hurt her until now. Her group of friends, whom she trusted the most, abandoned her. They all left to handle their problems in their own ways instead of contacting each other. 

She desperately reached out to them as they walked away. All she could do is witness them change and grow without her. It's as if she reverted back to being the small, dependent, girly Aubrey they all know. All she wanted was for them to talk to her again. 

But her wishes never came true. 

She will never forgive them, not in a million years. She'd rather follow after Mari if they dare come back into her life and suddenly go like 'Hey, sorry 'bout abandoning you. Wanna hang out again like the good ol' times?' Hell no. She swears, if she sees any of them, they'll get a bat to the face. Basil is only lucky she's holding back because he's so damn sensitive already-- a sensitive freak that scribbled all over their memories. 

They caused this. They made her into the person she is now. A delinquent who is the queen of the hooligans. A group of kids who cause havoc wherever they go. 

And then she saw her. 

Mari. Her big sister, who she tried to impress, promised to dye her hair with, and who she loved dearly-- is frowning at her. She's disappointed, isn't she? Is it because she didn't try hard enough to keep her friends together and found new ones? Or because she became a troublemaker, unlike the Aubrey she knew before? 

God, she feels like a failure. 

"I'm sorry.. Mari.." Everyone abandons her in the end, even Mari. Maybe the hooligans will too. Soon enough. 

"..Aubrey." Someone called out to her. She slowly looks up and saw no one. With blurry eyes, she looked around to find the voice. She knows who it's from, there is only ever one person she's met with such a voice. "It's okay." Suddenly arms are slowly wrapping around her shoulder, gently embracing her. "..I'm right here." The person leaned their head on the pinkette's. 

..It was Kim. 

Aubrey bursts into tears, this time, they were tears indicating her thankfulness instead of resentment. She feels safe- no, she feels found. 

Amid her rage, Kim went right through and found her. She.. 

\--

Aubrey opened her eyes, greeted with the morning glow coming from Kim's window. Staring at the ceiling of her best friend's room, she pondered back on her dream. She had the same one she gets once a month, but this time she feels content. 

She looked to her left, somewhat shocked to see Kim staring at her. 

The brunette, snapping out of it, tried to escape getting caught staring. "G-G'mornin'." She awkwardly greeted the latter, her cheeks slightly turning pink. "..Good morning." Aubrey smiled at her, turning her body to face Kim properly. 

The pink-haired girl smiled warmly, her heart beating fast just from remembering her dream. "..You were in my dream last night." She said, finding Kim's eyes mesmerizing. "Really? What'd I do there?" The tan girl excitedly asked. 

"..You saved me." Aubrey answered. When she left her best friend speechless and red, she deems it a success. 

**Author's Note:**

> beta-read by dust :)  
> Shameless sponsorship? We planned it all.  
> I hope you enjoyed reading!


End file.
